Grace (The Family Simon 5)

They landed at 1:30 a.m. Arizona time and a car was waiting. Grace called Matt’s number, but he didn’t pick up so she left a simple message. She wanted to say more but the words wouldn’t come. I’m here, was all she had and it would have to do.

Traffic was sparse this time of night and they reached Compassionate Care Hospice in less than twenty minutes. Betty Jo had managed to located Matt’s father and Grace instructed the driver to wait for them. There weren’t many vehicles in the parking lot, and it was quiet as the exited the car.

A woman stepped from the shadows as they neared the front door. Cigarette smoke swirled above her head and Grace knew who it was before she stepped out of the darkness. Delilah. She took one last puff from her smoke and tossed it onto the pavement without bothering to extinguish it.

Betty Jo walked over and stubbed it out with her toe. “Really, Delilah?”

Delilah didn’t seem surprised to see them. “Knock yourself out.” She dismissed Betty Jo and focused on Grace. “So you decided to come after Matt, did ya? Wasted trip, if you ask me.”

“No one’s asking for your two cents,” Betty Jo snapped.

Grace watched the woman closely. Her eyes were puffy and the lines around her mouth were more pronounced than she remembered.

“I know who you are,” she said to Grace.

Grace didn’t skip a beat. “And I know who you are. Guess we’re even.”

Delilah burst out laughing. “You really are something else, aren’t you?” She took a step toward Grace. “You have no idea what you’re walking into. You think Matt’s gonna give a goddamn that you’re here? Shit. You’re just another notch on his bedpost. You’re no different than all the other women who throw themselves at him.”

Delilah made a sound of disgust. “They all think they’re going to be the one to change him. The one who’ll finally get him to settle down and start a family.”

Delilah pointed to Betty Jo. “She’s about as close as it got. But even that didn’t work out, and do you know why?”

Grace didn’t really care to hear this woman’s ramblings but she knew she didn’t have a choice.

“He doesn’t want to change and as far as I’m concerned, he’s perfectly fine the way he is.”

“How the hell would you know anything about Matt? He hasn’t given you the time of day in years.” Betty Jo was livid. She snatched off her glasses and pointed them at Delilah. “And I think it’s pathetic to use Ben’s passing as a last ditch effort to get Matt to come to you.”

“You don’t know anything about Matt and me,” Delilah sneered.

“Oh I know more than you think.”

“Enough.” Grace didn’t have time for Betty and Delilah’s crap. “You’re right Delilah.” She stepped between the two women and shut it down as they both looked at her in surprise. “Matt doesn’t need to change. He is perfect. He’s a complicated perfect, with a hell of a lot of layers. His perfect is that he’s flawed and he’s broken.” She paused and thought of Dory and Rosie. “He’s loving and compassionate and stubborn. He’s also loyal and arrogant and…” She smiled. “He’s tender. There’s nothing I would change about Matt Hawkins. I love every layer of his perfect being.”

Grace looked into the woman’s glittery eyes. “Every. Single. Layer.” She turned and headed for the front door.

“You’re not allowed inside.” Delilah shouted. “Only family is.”

“Grace is his family now.” Betty Jo crossed her arms over her chest.

“Matt loves me. Always has.” Delilah shouted.

Grace had a hand on the door but took the time to look over her shoulder. The look on Delilah’s face made her blood boil. It was one of triumph. As if she’d just won something. Grace stared at her for a good five seconds, until her heart slowed a bit and she was able to speak.

“If you think what Matt feels for you is love, then you’re more delusional than I thought.”

The woman opened her mouth and if she said something, Grace didn’t know. She pushed on the door and walked inside. Grace headed for the elevators, armed with a room number and the urgent need to see the man she loved.

Once on the second floor, she quickly found room 211. She didn’t stop. She needed to see him and gently pushed open the door. She slipped inside and quietly closed it behind her. She stood still, a little unsure of how to proceed. Matt sat in a chair beside the bed, his back to her, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, his face in his palms.

She couldn’t really see his father, but by the labored breaths, she knew he was not doing well. It was heartbreaking for Grace to hear. She couldn’t imagine what it was like for Matt.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Grace jumped, startled at the sound of his voice. She swallowed that stupid lump that never seemed to go away, and tried not think about the fact that Matt didn’t sound happy to see her. She could do this. She had to do this.

“I had to come,” she said quietly, taking a few steps forward.